On the other hand, I was born at the tail end of the Baby Boom. I was in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell, and was later stationed in former Soviet Union countries during the rest of the Cold War. My wife and her family escaped communist Cuba. I know what I’m talking about.

“Al Peterson commented 7 hours ago
social liberalism gives way to social conservatism with decreasing individual freedoms,
-————————
Except in real life where history and experience rule reality. "

I don’t see either Liberals or Libertarians trying to get the government to arbitrarily restrict who you can marry. That’s purely a social conservative thing, and a substantial infringement on individual freedoms. (whose business but your own is it who you marry?)

Charred Remains commented
2019-03-06 22:26:00 -0500

Andrew stop with that cut and paste thing..!! Try to be original in the future because the rest of us are.!!

Al Peterson commented
2019-03-06 18:59:10 -0500

social liberalism gives way to social conservatism with decreasing individual freedoms,-————————
Except in real life where history and experience rule reality.

Andrew Stephenson commented
2019-03-06 13:47:11 -0500

“Dirk Kanis commented 2 hours ago
Just for Andrew, who can’t seem to get it figured out.”

I disagree with placing it on a one-dimensional line. In reality social and economic left and right are at least somewhat independent of each other and should be plotted at least two-dimensionally, with social and economic left vs right on the two axes. The disparity is apparent when you look at Canadian political parties, which largely differ only on economic policy, not social (or in the US, where they differ largely on social policy, not economic… at least, until the Trump v. AOC axis developed).

Further, the social spectrum is almost circular rather than linear – social liberalism gives way to social conservatism with decreasing individual freedoms, then as you move further right into libertarianism individual freedoms rise again.

Economic left/social left: “Socialist”. Modern welfare states, including Canada and Scandinavia. Usually democratic and their egalitarian nature keeps elections fair.
Economic left/social right: “communist” one-party countries like China, sometimes verging into fascism. Some parts of Eastern Europe fall close to this as well – elections are shams when they do occur. Populist autocrats like Putin and Orban fall here.
Economic right/social right: A lot of the third world falls into this category, as well as some recently industrialized Asian countries, including perhaps Singapore as the best example (one of the freest markets, but rather socially conservative). Political systems vary but can be democratic.
Economic right/social left: This one’s pretty rare, but it’s what the US originally aspired to, and somewhat achieves albeit uneasily, often only because of the aforementioned circularity on the social spectrum and constitutional limits on social conservatism. The US is democratic, but lacks the electoral egalitarianism of socialist states.

Robert Hewgill commented
2019-03-06 11:55:01 -0500

The left wing global warming scam at its core, has always been about tyrannical global governance and destroying the capitalist free market system, and replacing it with a Marxist system, under the guise of environmentalism.

You nailed it Robert. Anytime the government is in control of your life it matters not what you call it, it is totalitarianism. Choose your flavour- full strength or light.

Robert McClelland commented
2019-03-06 08:27:10 -0500

Communism is the ultimate expression of socialism.

Muta Ween commented
2019-03-06 05:14:02 -0500

What the trolls try to sell here is the same exact crap that Hugo Chavez’ spewed when he suckered the Venezuelans into democratically electing him.
I listened to it and I lived through it.As soon as all the promises fail,which is inevitable, those in power seize control and you have democracy at the point of a gun .

Alberta Maga commented
2019-03-06 03:31:58 -0500

Andrew Stephenson people paying for services through taxes can also be called a co-op or compassionate capitalism , it is not only defined by socialism no matter how much you want to make that true.

Alberta Maga commented
2019-03-06 03:30:50 -0500

Andrew Stephenson WRONG!! Socialism gives the state control, that is Communism. Socialism is not a good thing except in small doses.

Communism and socialism are not the same thing. Dictators are only seen in communist countries, while most socialist countries (and most developed countries are, to some extent, socialist) are democratic these days.

Bruce Atchison commented
2019-03-05 23:03:59 -0500

If only we could ship Millenials to Venezuela. Cuba is another failed worker’s paradise they should experience. Then there’s North Korea. Oh what fun those young punks could have there, eh?